Photo of the Week: Jan. 22, 2012

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: I love it when the landscape changes attire. The more dramatic, the more exhilarating, and nothing dazzles quite like a fresh blanket of snow on hills that stay quietly green or brown throughout the seasons. For a country that averages about a foot of snow every three years, even the threat of a storm can bring life to a halt. While there have been snowstorms in Israel to compare with the Nor'easters of my childhood, the frozen flakes never hang around for long and since I left the tire chains in the garage back in Massachusetts, it is impossible to travel at the peak opportunities for taking pictures.

All of the snow photographs in my library were taken within walking distance of my home in the Judean Mountains south of Jerusalem. I selected this shot of grapevines bending under the weight of fresh powder as an offering to the weather makers to please bring us a few flurries this year. The storm had already cleared by dawn so I headed out to catch the sun while it was low on the horizon and before the snow melted and disappeared. I shot back in the direction of the sun, as I almost invariably do when photographing trees and flowers, but in this case it was the best perspective to highlight the opalescent sheen on the vine tendrils. Some days the weather turns the land into a once-in-a-lifetime scene. It was certainly enjoyable in the moment, and likewise when I return to that morning in pictures.

TECHNICAL DATA: Nikon D-70, 18-70 zoom at 38mm, f11 at 1/800 sec., ISO 400.